The countdown has officially begun!

On March 28, 2027, we will board the Carnival Vista for a six-day cruise to the Bahamas. While the sailing is still several months away, the planning, preparation, and excitement have already started.

This trip will also mark the beginning of something new: our YouTube channel.

Our Carnival Vista Cruise

Our Carnival Vista cruise will take place from March 28 through April 3, 2027. We will begin the journey a couple of days before embarkation, giving ourselves plenty of time to drive to Florida without feeling rushed.

Our current plan is to leave on March 26 and spend the night in McDonough, Georgia. The following day, we will continue to Cape Canaveral, where we will stay at the Residence Inn by Marriott Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach before boarding the ship.

Arriving a day early gives us time to relax, explore the area, and prepare for embarkation morning. It also provides extra protection against traffic, weather, or unexpected delays along the way.

Planning the Cruise

There is much more to planning a cruise than simply booking a cabin and showing up at the port.

Over the coming months, we will be preparing our packing lists, researching the ship, reviewing dining options, choosing activities, and exploring possible shore excursions. We will also be sharing information about the entire process, including:

• Preparing for the drive to Florida
• Choosing a pre-cruise hotel
• Packing for a six-day Bahamas cruise
• Completing Carnival’s online check-in
• Planning transportation and parking
• Preparing for embarkation day
• Exploring Carnival Vista
• Selecting excursions and activities
• Sharing tips for first-time cruisers

One of the travelers joining me will be experiencing a cruise for the first time, which will allow us to share the journey from both an experienced cruiser’s perspective and a first-time cruiser’s point of view.

The Beginning of Our YouTube Channel

This cruise will also help launch our new YouTube channel.

The channel will follow the entire adventure—not only the days we spend aboard Carnival Vista, but also the planning, preparation, road trip, hotel stays, embarkation experience, ports of call, and journey home.

We want the videos to show what travel is really like. That includes the exciting moments, the challenges, the unexpected changes, and everything that happens beyond the original itinerary.

Some of the videos we are planning include:

• Our Carnival Vista cruise announcement
• Cruise planning and preparation updates
• What we are packing
• Our road trip to Florida
• A tour of our pre-cruise hotel
• Carnival Vista embarkation day
• Ship tours and dining experiences
• Bahamas port adventures
• Our honest cruise review
• Tips we learned along the way

Our goal is to create helpful and entertaining travel content while documenting memories that we can look back on for years to come.

Why We Are Sharing the Journey

Travel planning can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for someone preparing for their first cruise. By sharing our experience, we hope to help other travelers understand what to expect and feel more confident about planning their own vacations.

We will share what works, what does not work, what surprises us, and what we might do differently next time.

As the owner of All Paths Travel and the founder of Beyond the Itinerary and Paws & Paths, I am excited to bring our travel stories to video. The YouTube channel will give us another way to share honest experiences, useful travel information, and the unforgettable moments that happen along the way.

Follow the Countdown

March 28, 2027, may seem far away, but cruise day will be here before we know it.

Between now and then, we will continue sharing planning updates, packing tips, cruise information, and behind-the-scenes preparations for our Carnival Vista adventure.

This is more than the beginning of a cruise countdown. It is the beginning of a new chapter for our travel stories and our YouTube channel.

We hope you will follow along as we prepare to board Carnival Vista and set sail for the Bahamas!